Nintendo Vice President Confirms Switch 2 Joy-Cons Will Not Include Hall Effect Sticks

Nintendo of America recently disclosed some intriguing details about their upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, specifically regarding the design of its controllers. Unfortunately, those hoping for a tech revolution might be disappointed, as the new console will not incorporate Hall effect sensors in the analog sticks of either the Joy-Cons or Pro Controllers. Nate Bihldorff, who holds a key position as Senior Vice President of Product Development & Publishing, shared this information with Nintendo Life. According to him, despite skipping the Hall effect tech, the new analog sticks are built to last and should deliver a satisfying gaming experience.

Reflecting on the motivation behind this decision, Bihldorff explained, “We’ve rebuilt the Joy-Con 2 from scratch. While they’re not utilizing Hall Effect, they provide an excellent feel.” The goal, as he indicated, is always to create the best gaming environment possible, focusing on interaction quality and longevity.

It’s worth remembering that the original Nintendo Switch faced significant problems with stick drift throughout its time on the market. Inconsistent behavior of the analog sticks, where they would register movement even when untouched, led to numerous class-action lawsuits. Both Nintendo and its American division issued apologies and offered free repair programs to mitigate these issues.

For those unfamiliar, Hall effect sticks use magnets rather than the more traditional potentiometer-based system to detect joystick movement. The traditional method often risks wear and tear over time, leading to problems like stick drift. Despite Hall effect joysticks becoming popular with third-party manufacturers, Nintendo has decided against adopting this seemingly more reliable technology for now, leaving some eyebrows raised.

During a developer roundtable, it was emphasized that durability was a pivotal factor in their approach to redesigning the controllers. Kouichi Kawamoto, the mind behind the Switch 2, pointed out that the revised Pro Controller might resemble its predecessor but has been fundamentally re-engineered.

Furthering the discussion, Tetsuya Sasaki, who leads hardware development, mentioned Nintendo’s ongoing mission to craft the ultimate gaming controller. Although they have not officially declared that the Switch 2 achieves this goal, they are clearly proud of the effort that went into its “smooth-gliding switches.”

The true verdict on whether Nintendo has resolved the dreaded stick drift issue with the Switch 2 will only come with time. Historically, Joy-Cons have shown drift symptoms within six months, so observations up to 2026 will be crucial. If drifting problems persist, it could prompt further scrutiny over their choice to bypass the Hall effect solution. Stay tuned for more updates on Nintendo Switch 2, including insights into its capabilities like DLSS and ray tracing features, by checking our ongoing coverage.